Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

(12)

Terry Collier (James Bolam) returns from his stint in the army to find his north-east home-town and its inhabitants have changed beyond recognition. Out of contact during the intervening years, his best friend Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes) has settled into a respectable white-collar job and is engaged to his boss's daughter, Thelma; a level-headed, prim librarian with aspirations - shared by Bob - to a better, brighter future. With distaste, Thelma remembers Terry from the past and she is aghast that he returns to interrupt their cosy new lives and exert what can only be his customarily poor influence over her easily led fiancé.

The Likely Lads

(12)

Terry Collier (James Bolam) returns from his stint in the army to find his north-east home-town and its inhabitants have changed beyond recognition. Out of contact during the intervening years, his best friend Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes) has settled into a respectable white-collar job and is engaged to his boss's daughter, Thelma (Brigit Forsyth); a level-headed, prim librarian with aspirations - shared by Bob - to a better, brighter future. With distaste, Thelma remembers Terry from the past and she is aghast that he returns to interrupt their cosy new lives and exert what can only be his customarily poor influence over her easily led fiancé.

Mary Tamm, Sheila Fearn, Zena Walker, Anulka Dziubinska, Alun Armstrong.

Two of the best actors of our time. Very funny script that could not have been carried off by anyone else but this duo. If you haven't yet seen it your missing out!!!

Till Death Us Do Part

(12)

Alf Garnet (Warren Mitchell) is the original of the American TV character Archie Bunker of '"All in the Family" (1971)' . He is a profane, bigoted cockney constantly fighting against the system, his family and the younger generation.

Anthony Booth, Dandy Nichols, Una Stubbs.

Never really saw much of this when I was growing up, but I like what I saw!!

Steptoe And Son

(PG)

Classic 1960s British comedy series about a middle aged man and his elderly father (Wilfrid Brambell) who run an unsuccessful 'rag and bone' business (collecting and selling junk). Harold (the son Harry H. Corbett) wants to better himself but his father always seems to ruin things, sometimes accidentally and other times deliberately. The two live in poverty and the father has some disgusting habits which continue to embarrass the son.

The Rag Trade

(U)

Life in the Fenner Fashions workshop is constantly disrupted by wildcat industrial action as firebrand shop steward Paddy (Miriam Karlin) takes on penny-pinching proprietor Harold Fenner (Peter Jones) over anything and everything! It seems like every day Paddy's blowing her whistle and yelling 'everybody out!'. Poor foreman Reg (Reg Varney) is stuck in the middle of the battle, just trying to keep everyone happy - and failing miserably!

Sheila Hancock as Carole and Esma Cannon as Little Lil are amongst the workforce - as is a young Barbara Windsor. Created and written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney (who later went on to have another hit series On The Buses with Reg Varney), The Rag Trade is a true classic which attracted enormous audiences when it was first broadcast between October and December 1961.

A nice cosy 1970's trip back in time, shame all these loveable actors no longer with us, They made TV at its best, A wonderful series, loads of laughs.

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

(PG)

Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) is more than just a complete klutz. Everything he touches falls apart, and he can't keep a job more than a day. The only thing that keep him going is his long-suffering wife Betty (Michele Dotrice), who somehow manages to cope with his disaster-prone life-style.

Jessica Forte, Glynn Edwards, Dick Bentley, Anthony Woodruff.

Brilliant!!
A very good laugh..
Michael Crawford is the best in comedy!
The situations are very funny...
We watch the series over and over again!!

Rising Damp

(PG)

A genuine British comedy classic, the popularity of Rising Damp remains unparalleled some 25 years after the first transmission. Detailing the day-to-day events at Rigsby's dingy boarding-house in which the landlord from hell, Rupert Rigsby prowled around his dilapidated eyrie, poking his nose into his lodgers' affairs.

Don Warrington, Gabrielle Rose, Derek Newark.

In the feature length movie, Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter) is still intending to make Miss Jones (Frances De La Tour) his wife but she's far more interested in the intellectual and athletic Philip (Don Warrington)...

This is one of those series that has been little repeated over the years, which is a great shame. Rigsby was the kind of man that you love to hate. Rising Damp is just plain, good humour. Nothing to offend anyone, but requiring an adult mind to catch the plays on words and innuendos, which are continual. Enjoy a trip back to the seventies with Rigsby and co.

Porridge

(PG)

Fletcher's doing five years for breaking and entering. He's quick witted and never short of a trick or two to make his life that little bit easier. Lennie Godber's (Richard Beckinsale) his cellmate who Fletch often teases but also protects in a father-like way. The other two main characters are prison officers; MacKay's (Fulton Mackay) a militarily strict type, keen to adhere to the rules, while Mr Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) is almost a complete opposite and easily manipulated by Fletcher (Ronnie Barker).

This is really hilarious, if you haven't watched these series the your missing out!!!

One Foot in the Grave

Written by the great David Renwick, One foot in the grave is truly hilarious with fantastic situation comedy. The sort of things that we all can relate to ,when similar things happen to us like car repair men and sales men and the dreaded Jehovah's witnesses.Richard Wilson brilliantly plays Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson) a man on a mission to try and stay sane in a crazy world. He shouts and rants with purpose while his lovely wife Margeret (Annette Crosbie)uses her tolerance to try and cope with her husband. She is wonderfully portrayed by Annett Crosbee. Margerets best friend Mrs Wareboys (Dorren Mantle) is so kind at heart but yet blindingly tack less which makes her one of the funniest characters.While the meldrews are placed in the middle of naibours of whom they cant ascape. Mr swaney (Owen Brenman) comes through and annoys Victor with his unpredictability while on the other side Patrick (Angus Desyton) and Pippa (Janine Duvitski) are desperate to move house after the daily disturbances victor has accidentally brought on them.

Use to watch this every time this was on, use to love his bad attitude, while driving his wife Margaret crazy. Really funny!!!

Bless This House

(PG)


In "Bless this House", we have typical British sitcom fayre; middle-class family in a domestic setting, grumpy dad, stay-at-home mum, and two "teenagers" who, like most TV teens seem a bit long in the tooth. What raises bar in BTH is, undoubtedly, the casting of Sid James as, er, Sid, a middle-aged sales rep who is continually bewildered by the behaviours of his kids- the groovy Mike (Robin Stewart) and the sweetly sexy Sally Geeson, who plays, er, Sally. Diana Coupland completes the complement in her solid portrayal of Sid's long-suffering wife Jean (Diana Coupland).

Anthony Jackson, Patsy Rowlands.

An excellent TV series, very funny, I'm a big fan of Sid James!!!

Dad’s Army

(PG)

Popular BBC comedy series set in the fictional south coast seaside town of Walmington-On-Sea during World War 2. Alternating moments of gentle character comedy with broad slapstick, it recounts the misadventures of the local voluntary defence force (or 'Home Guard') consisting of men too old or 'unfit' for military service. They are led by the pompous Mainwaring, manager of the local bank, and consist of the suave, mild-mannered Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier) , Lance-Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn), the town's butcher and an old soldier prone to hysteria, cockney spiv Walker, dour Scots undertaker Frazer (John Laurie), gentle, elderly and incontinent Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) and dim-witted mummy's boy, Pike, whose mother is 'friendly' with Wilson. They are based in the Church hall where there is much friction between Mainwaring, the effeminate Vicar, his creeping Verger and ARP Warden Hodges (the grocer) who calls Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) 'Napoleon' and strongly dislikes him. The 80 episodes (the last 68 made in colour) have been frequently repeated, many are available on video and there was a 1971 Cinema version. A British institution, familiar to most people throughout the country.

Ian Lavender, James Beck, Bill Pertwee, Bud Flanagan (Voice Only), Edward Sinclair, Frank Williams, Colin Bean.

Not a big fan of Dad's Army, but have watched it a few times.

Are You being Served?

(PG)

This quintessentially British sitcom is about Grace Brothers, a department store in London which is owned and kept traditional, almost pre-war (e.g. precise dress code for ladies frills and gentlemen's hats according to rank), by two brothers who look old enough to have fought in the Boer war but rarely appear, as most scenes play on one floor where Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold (Nicholas Smith) is the executive (meaning he enjoys an endless parade of foxy but stupid secretaries) in charge of management while his dignified floor walker, Captain Stephen Peacock (Frank Thornton), has daily charge over two small sales teams. The fat and bossy, implicitly man-hungry widow Mrs. Betty Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) supervises the attractive Miss Shirley Brahms (Wendy Richards) (with a terribly common Cockney accent) -with first choice of customers, on commission- the sale of women's clothes and accessories; the sales star at the gentleman's side is Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humpries (John Inman), an implied closet-gay true gentleman, whose successive superiors are first obviously nearly retired Mr. Ernest Grainger and later formerly independent Mr. Grosman (Milo Sperber) while the successive cheeky juniors are Mr. Dick Lucas (Trevor Bannister) and Mr. Bert Spooner (Mike Berry). A regular visitor, and the only manual laborer but apparently best paid, is union representative Mr. Mash. Their interaction with each-other and the customers is quite formal in principle, but turns out comical in practice.

Every time I watch this I just can't stop myself from laughing. Good old fashioned British comedy. An excellent watch!!!

Robins Nest

(12)

Robin is a qualified chef and together with his girlfriend, Vicky (Tessa Wyatt), he wants to open up a bistro, but without the finances to do it he must turn to his disapproving father to help out. Together with his father and Vicky, and a one-armed Irishman with a criminal record to do the washing up, they open up, Robin's Nest.

Tony Britton, David Kelly.

Fairly funny spin-off for Richard O'Sullivan from 'Man about the House'. Really like this sitcom, you cant beat the old ones there the best, funnier that some of the ones out today!

The Beverly Hillbillies

(PG)

Meet the Clampett clan - There's Jed (Buddy Ebsen), a kind and sensible man turned millionaire, though not as imbocilic as the others, things happen around him without he knowing it; Granny (Irene Ryan) - old and senile, paranoid, and always certain she knows how to deal with a situation; Elly May (Donna Douglas) - Incredibly beautiful but awful naive! And Jethro Bodine (Max Baer Jr) - the stupid nephew of Jed. He's a strong as he is dumb; and Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey), a greedy banker who will do anything to keep the Clampett money in his bank, even if he has to hurt other people. Anyway, they've struck oil, gotten millions of dollars, move into a giant mansion, but still live like hillbillies: they still dress in tattered ragged clothes with rope belts, and Granny still makes soap the old fashion way, and Jethro tries to woo the women with his manly ways, but he's actually only acting like a real idiot, and doesn't even realize it.

The hillbillies have bought smiles to all our faces when it use to be on tv. What a pity they don't programs like this anymore.

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Mash

(15)

Korea, 1950. They were a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit stationed three miles from the front. Incoming helicopters full of wounded brought the horrors of war to them daily and sometimes bullets flew right outside the operating room door. Hilarity and hijinks were all that kept them sane.

Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, William Christopher, Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell.

Now journey back to that special place where friendships were forged, laughter was found and drinks were served.

This is a great classic sitcom, one of the best of the 70's.

Happy Days

(PG)

Happy Days, a cult Emmy and Golden Globe winning American TV sitcom has followers of every age and is a firm family favourite. Set in Milwaukee Wisconsin in the 1950s and aired between 1974 and 1984, events focus on Richie Cunningham (played by now acclaimed Director - Ron Howard) and his family - parents Howard (Tom Bosley) and Marion(Marion Ross) and brother and sister Chuck (Gavan O'Herlihy) and Joanie (Erin Moran).
Henry Winkler

I love Happy Days, it takes me back in time! I enjoyed so much watching it and now maybe even more. When watching Happy Days I just want to go back in time for real.

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The Liver Birds

(PG)

Beryl (Polly James) and Sandra (Nerys Hughes) share a lively flat in 1970s Liverpool. Though Beryl is spontaneous and outgoing while Sandra is quiet and refined, the unlikely duo are united in their common interests: romance, money problems, and a steady stream of interfering family members and neighbours. The girls contend with these problems and their own dueling personalities while decked out in classic 1970s fashions. This 3-disc set includes every episode from series two.

This is one of my favourite sitcoms, it just make you laugh all the way through. One of the best TV shows of the 1970's. (Well first episode 1969)

Man about the House

(12)

One morning after a particularly wild party, Chrissy (Paula Wilcox) and Jo (Sally Thomsett) wake up to find Robin (Robin O'Sullivan) sleeping in their bath. He needs a place to live, they need a flatmate that can cook, so they decide to let him live with them. Robin is convinced he's in with a chance with both of them, but he never seems to quite manage to impress either woman enough to get them to go out with him! Further ruining his chances is the dampening presence of landlord George Roper (Brian Murphy) and his wife Mildred (Yootha Joyce)who live downstairs.

Man About the House is a perfect example of the good british sitcoms of the time - slightly genteel, cheeky, fresh, ingenuous, sometimes outrageous, with some well made observations on contemporary life.

George & Mildred

(PG)

Mildred (Yootha Joyce)talks George (Brian Murphy) into buying a nice middle-class house in suburbia, and they move next door to Jeffrey and Ann Fourmile. Unfortunately, Mildred's dream of upward mobility seems doomed to failure, as George relentlessly embarrasses her in every way possible. Poor Mildred not only has to cope with George's gormless behavior, she has to try and deal with the the snobbish Jeffrey as well as her rich-bitch sister Ethel and mad old mum.

This one follows on from Man about the House and shows the ups and downs of George and Mildred Roper as they move to a new posh area, where they really just do not fit in.

The Good Life

(PG)

Tom (Richard Briers) and Barbara (Felicity Kendal) Good's dream is to live completely self-sufficiently. This means, among other things, raising their own vegetables and animals for food. Trouble is, they live in the suburbs. Their very conservative neighbors, the Leadbetters (Penelope Keith) (Paul Eddington), look on, horrified, at this bold experiment.

It was wonderful to sit and watch this classic British Sitcom from beginning to end. A great classic collection. Margo, just brilliant. They don't make them like this anymore.